Modelling the size and composition of fruit, grain and seed by process-based simulation models

Area of Science:

• Agricultural science
• Computational biology
• Plant physiology

Background:

• Fruit, grain, and seed traits are complex, influenced by genotype and environment across multiple biological organization levels.
• Understanding these traits requires integrating diverse processes from subcellular to crop levels.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review process-based simulation models (PBSMs) for fruit, grain, and seed development and storage.
• To identify common modeling approaches for storage organs.
• To highlight the importance of spatial heterogeneity in modeling end-use value.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on fruit, grain, and seed process-based simulation models.
• Analysis of models covering growth, development, and storage metabolism.
• Identification of common and distinct modeling components.

Main Results:

• Generic storage organ processes can be modeled similarly across fruit, grain, and seed.
• Spatial heterogeneity at tissue and whole-plant levels is crucial for modeling environmental and genotypic effects on end-use value.
• PBSMs show potential as a link between molecular and whole-plant studies.

Conclusions:

• PBSMs are valuable tools for understanding crop traits and bridging research scales.
• Future models should be adaptable yet avoid over-parameterization to effectively link genotype to phenotype.
• Integrating spatial heterogeneity is key for accurate simulation of crop quality.